When setting the teeth in a set of upper and lower dentures, the front six (anterior) teeth on both the upper and lower denture can be set uniquely (in no particular set pattern) to achieve the individual look desired for that particular person. However, the posterior teeth (molars and premolars) must be set in accordance to the manufacturer's instructions in order for the teeth to function and perform how they are intended. Typically, proper arrangement of the posterior teeth in this set pattern defined by the manufacturer is difficult and time consuming to achieve. Consequently, setting denture teeth requires someone with the skill and experience to do a good job, but even with such qualified personnel, short cuts and “good enoughs” can and do still happen.
A previous attempt to simplify the denture setting process has resulted in a product known as Filou 28® from Heraeus Kulzer. The product features tooth blocks that receive upper (maxillary) and lower (mandibular) prosthetic posterior teeth from above and below the block into separated upper and lower openings therein. The tooth shaped openings or cavities in the block act to position the individual prosthetic teeth in predetermined positions relative to one another, so that these teeth need not be individually positioned by the technician when setting them in wax on a model produced by mounting of the mandibular and maxillary casts on an articulator to simulate the patient's jaw. It appears that due to the receipt of the maxillary and mandibular teeth in separate cavities from above and below the tooth block, the teeth are not placed in centric occlusion (direct contact) by use of the block, but rather are spaced apart by approximately 2 mm. As a result, achieving centric occlusion requires compensation for this spacing to be made in the articulator pin setting, which appears to rely upon an exclusive articulator assembly. The blocks therefore are not suitable for use with an unmodified conventional articulator, and therefore seem to only form one part of a larger overall system required to implement the labour-reduced denture production process.
It is therefore desirable to provide an alternate way to reduce the time it takes to set the posterior teeth, to eliminate the need for an experienced technician to set the teeth and to improve the precision of the placement of the posterior teeth, while avoiding the need for a specialized articulator.